All aboard this oldest running steam train in Borneo and relive memories of a bygone era 🚂🛤

January 25, 2021

📌North Borneo Railway, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah🚂

All aboard North Borneo Railway in Borneo and relive memories of a bygone era 🚂🛤

The North Borneo Railway provides nostalgia-loving tourists the opportunity to experience a half-day outing in a retro styled railway carriage pulled by a classic British-made Vulcan steam locomotive. These tours, which are operated by Sutera Harbour Resort, only run twice a week and include a continental breakfast and a tiffin colonial style lunch. The staff onboard the train wear colonial era pith helmets, 'empire builder' shorts and long white socks.

The train runs from Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu to the small town of Papar - a distance of around 35 km each way - on tracks owned by the Sabah State Railway. Passengers should arrive at Tanjung Aru Railway Station at 9:30 am where a continental breakfast will be served onboard before the train departs at 10am. It chugs along at a leisurely 20 kph through KK’s urban sprawl and provides glimpses of the South China Sea near Lokawi Bay. More rural kampung village scenes are next before reaching the town of Kinawat. The train stops here for 20 minutes allowing passengers a chance to disembark for a quick look at Tien Shi Temple.

Then the journey continues past paddy fields before reaching Papar at 11:45am. The train stops here for 35 minutes so you can get off to stretch your legs and perhaps visit the local wet market and some local shops. The train departs Papar at 12:20pm following which a colonial inspired tiffin lunch is served before arriving back at Tanjung Aru at 1:40pm.

Ticket prices seem to be going up year after year and are now quite expensive:

RM 345 per adult or child aged 4 and above.

Includes 10% service and 6% GST.

Free for children below 3 years old.

This price includes continental breakfast and Tiffin style lunch (a blend of Asian and Continental cuisine with homemade lemonade). The price also includes transfer from the Sutera Harbour Resort hotel but only for guests staying at that hotel. Everyone else has to find their own way to Tanjung Aru Railway Station (see below for directions).